


A collection of ways in which Destiel could've been made canon casually, easily, and without sending anyone to Turbo Hell.

by lusilly



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Canon Compliant, Castiel Loves Dean Winchester, Castiel and Dean Winchester Have a Profound Bond, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, Fluff, M/M, Sam Winchester Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 16:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29281473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lusilly/pseuds/lusilly
Summary: This is just a whole bunch of moments in which Cas-loves-Dean (in a gay way) and Dean-loves-Cas (in an equally gay way) could've fully in-character been made canon in small, super chill ways. There is no plot here. It is just a whole bunch of examples of how fucking easy it would have been to make it explicitly canon.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 3
Kudos: 63





	A collection of ways in which Destiel could've been made canon casually, easily, and without sending anyone to Turbo Hell.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't watched SPN consistently since around 2012 but this is just ridiculous. I've spot-watched a few eps in the past few weeks and have referenced a few here. If a specific episode/event isn't referenced, then assume it's just some nebulous non-specific timeline.
> 
> Might update this if any other chill little moments come to me.

“Why is _assbutt_ ,” began Cas, thoughtfully, “an insult?” He glanced around at Dean. “I thought you said those were your two best qualities?”

Sam couldn’t hold back a snort. “Two?”

Without looking up from the laptop, Dean replied, “Everybody’s got two cheeks, Sammy.” He winked at Cas, then gave him a one-handed finger gun. “Pow-pow.”

\--

With a _whoosh_ of angel wings, Castiel appeared in the motel room. Before either Sam or Dean could say a word, he strode forward, and deposited a white paper bag in Dean’s hands.

“Uh, thanks?” said Dean, peering inside. “What’s this?”

“A new weapon?” asked Sam.

“No,” Cas said to Sam. To Dean, he said, “I found a local establishment which advertises the best fried dough in the country. I thought you of all people would be most qualified to judge.”

From the paper bag, Dean removed a perfect jelly-filled glazed doughnut. His eyes practically sparkled as he admired it, then took a profoundly large bite, then closed his eyes and chewed in ecstasy. Red jelly dripped down his chin. Sam grimaced.

When he had finished the bite, Dean reached out and placed the hand not currently holding the doughnut on Cas’s shoulder.

“Cas,” he said, very seriously. “I _love_ you.”

\--

Sam cast a sidelong glance towards Dean as he let out a sigh and dropped onto the bed. Cas disappeared before Dean hit the bed, leaving only the sound of fluttering wings behind him. Though he had ostensibly been there to update them on their search, Sam had politely focused on his laptop as Cas said a temporary farewell to Dean, which Dean received in a way that was frankly, if Sam were being honest, adorable.

They did not kiss; Sam did not think they had ever kissed. Neither Dean nor Cas were particularly touchy-feely people, but then again Cas wasn’t really a people at all, unless angels and people were the same thing, and Sam wasn’t sure they were.

Either way, Cas disappeared, and Dean fell back onto the bed, eyes closed. “Shoes,” reminded Sam, and Dean grumbled but kicked off his shoes so they fell at the foot of the bed.

“Hey Dean,” Sam added, after a moment.

“Hn?”

Sam glanced at his brother, then said, “You know...Jimmy isn’t in there, anymore.”

At this, Dean opened his eyes and looked up, a frown on his face. “What?”

“Jimmy Novak,” Sam continued pointedly. “You heard what Cas told Claire. It’s just him in there.”

That frown transmuted into both eyebrows raised. “And?”

“I’m just saying,” Sam said, with a vague shake of his head. “I don’t see what the problem is. You and Cas.” He paused, and Dean said nothing, so he continued, “Look - I get that the whole vessel thing is weird, back when Ruby and I-”

“Uh-uh,” said Dean loudly, holding up a hand to stop his brother. “OK, first of all, possibly the worst comparison you’ve ever made. Second of all,” he fell back down onto the bed, closing his eyes, “you’re reading the terrain all wrong, Sammy.”

“Yeah?” asked Sam. “How’s that?”

Dean seemed to think about this for a moment, then he moved to sit on the side of the bed, elbows on his knees. “Look,” he began, with what appeared to Sam to be complete sincerity, “I ain’t gonna be a baby about it, alright, me and Cas - yeah, we got something between the two of us. I don’t mean angel stuff, you know, warrior of God and whatever. Something real.” There was a pause. Dean looked down at his hands, then back up at his brother. “But that ain’t his style.”

“What’s that mean?” Sam asked, with palpable skepticism. “I know he’s an angel, Dean, but he’s not exactly a Bible thumper-”

Dean shook his head and waved this away with his hand. “That ain’t what I mean. He and I are on the same page, alright, but - he doesn’t really get all the human stuff. You should’ve seen him the first time I tried to help him get laid, he was terrified the whole time.”

Sam asked, “Hold on, you did _what?_ ”

“C’mon, I thought it was the end of the world. It was some girl, OK,” he added, in case that wasn’t clear. “You know. That kind of establishment.”

“You took an _angel_ ,” Sam said, “to the Bunny Ranch?”

“I said it was the end of the world, didn’t I?”

With a roll of his eyes, Sam asked, “Has anyone ever told you that you come on way too strong?”

“Yes,” answered Dean wisely. “Anyway. Think Cas’s thing has to do with the whole, you know. Multidimensional wavelength of celestial intent, thing. Not exactly a body made for boning.”

This all more or less tracked. “He kissed Meg that one time.”

“Yeah,” said Dean, with a grimace, “but that wasn’t really a kiss, that was a power thing.” He paused for a moment, then added, “The point is…don’t make it weird, OK, Sammy?”

“Sure,” agreed Sam. “Absolutely. No judgement about being platonically in love with an angel.”

“ _Sam_.”

But Sam just laughed. “I get it, Dean,” he said. “And I’m glad.” Dean rolled his eyes, dropping back down to the bed. “I am. You guys really do have something special. And you deserve it.”

Dean didn’t say anything for a moment, closing his eyes, drifting to sleep. “Yeah,” he muttered. “Whatever.”

\--

_(11.23 Alpha and Omega, scene at Mary’s grave)_

“...but I understand,” said Chuck.

Dean nodded grimly. From behind him, Cas said, “Dean,” and when Dean turned around, Cas took him by the face, and smashed his lips against Dean’s.

After the initial moment of shock, Cas pulled away and wrapped his arms around Dean in a hug, and Dean said, “OK, OK. Alright.”

When Cas stepped back, he added, “I thought I’d just - try that.”

“Yeah,” said Dean.

“For your sake,” said Cas.

“I know,” said Dean. “Thank you.”

“I haven’t had a lot of practice,” said Cas.

“Yeah, buddy,” said Dean. “I can tell.”

“I could go with you,” added Cas.

“No. I gotta do this alone.”

\--

“Dean,” said Cas, who of course did not trust Crowley, and thus had insisted in coming along despite the fact that he was still trying to talk the boys out of it. “There is a possibility that Crowley will use you as leverage to force my hand, because he knows that I have powerful feelings for you.”

Sam blinked at Cas disbelievingly; Crowley cocked an eyebrow at Dean, a smirk on his face; Dean inhaled deeply and gave a gentle roll of his eyes.

“We get it, Cas,” Dean said over his shoulder. “You love me, I love you, you don’t gotta keep bringing it up every conversation.”

“Dean,” insisted Cas. “Crowley-”

But Crowley cut him off. “Was this news to you, Feathers?” he asked, leaning over to peer past Dean. “Because I’ve been using your ‘ _powerful feelings_ ’ for your squirrel here against you for about the past ten years.”

“Crowley,” warned Dean darkly.

Crowley cocked his shoulders in a half-shrug. “Love wins.”

\--

( _After Jack kills Mary_ )

It was nighttime. They were driving in the Impala, alone. Still trying to track down Jack, still trying to understand what had happened, still trying to make sense of any of it.

“Dean,” began Cas, glancing sidelong at him. “I...wish I could do more, for you.”

There was no response. Dean’s gaze was focused out the windshield, his brow drawn together tightly. 

“I know, Cas,” he muttered, finally.

There was only the side of the road disappearing beneath them. “You deserve more,” said Cas. “You always have. I’m sorry.”

Dean said nothing. He sniffed slightly, but when Cas looked, his eyes were dry.

“Cas,” he began, and then he stopped, and his mouth worked slightly, as if he were working up the courage, tasting the words in his mouth before he spoke them, and finding them bitter. “This sucks. Alright? It’s a bad beat.” He stopped again, abruptly, focused on the road before them. “I knew Mom wouldn’t be here long,” he said shortly. “I just didn’t think…” He inhaled deeply, through his nose. “I just didn’t think it’d be like this.”

Cas watched him. “Jack is scared,” he said, quietly. “He’s running because he knows he’s hurt you, Dean.”

“I’d sure as hell hope so,” Dean shot back. “He killed my mom.”

“It was an-”

“If you say _accident_ ,” Dean said loudly, cutting him off, “I swear to God, I’m gonna run this car off the road.”

Out of respect for Dean, Cas closed his mouth, turning back towards the windshield. “You wouldn’t do that,” he added, peering out the window. “You care about this car too much.”

Which may have been true, but did nothing towards softening Dean’s mood towards him. For a while they drove in silence.

And then Dean began, “Look Cas, I know looking after Jack is important to you. Alright? I know what you promised Kelly. I get that makes him family. I get that. And I’m trying,” he continued. His teeth skated over his bottom lip as he frowned out at the night. “I’m trying to remember that. And you know - I think about Sam, when he was soulless, and even before that, with the demon blood. How bad he wanted to do the right thing and how he just kept screwing up.” He cocked his head slightly and acknowledged, “Not like he was the only one, but.” He paused, lips pressed tightly together. “It’s not a question. You know? If Sam woke up one morning and - did something like this. To Mom. To anyone. No question. I don’t care what he did. That’s my brother.”

He glanced, for the first time, towards Cas.

“You too,” he added. He looked back at the road. “I’m still here, after everything we’ve been through. Everything you’ve done. I don’t care, ‘cause I know you, and I love you, and nothing else matters.” He took another deep, slow breath. “You know that, right?”

This hurt a little bit, that odd ache deep in Cas’s chest which felt tender like a bruise. Quietly, he replied, “Of course I do, Dean.”

“I love you,” Dean repeated, as mundanely as if he were commenting on the weather. “And Sammy’s my little brother, so I’m stuck with him.” In the sky above them, the moon hung anxiously above the horizon. “And I know Jack’s your family. But I don’t know if I can love the kid enough for this, Cas. I don’t know if I got it in me.”

Cas turned to Dean, concern in his eyes. “Dean…”

“I know he’s a kid,” Dean continued, resolutely, “I know he’s soulless, I know it was an accident. But she was my _mom_ , Cas. My _mom_. OK? And damn it, Cas, I’m only human.”

“Yes,” said Cas. “You are.”

He said nothing more. After a moment, Dean added, “So, I’m just saying. I’m trying, alright? But I can’t make any promises to you.”

They drove in silence.

\--

When Dean caught up to Jack in that graveyard, and then God caught up to them, the first thing Castiel did as an army of monsters bore down on the three of them, was take Dean’s hand.


End file.
